Forbidden Lands Fellows

Lifting mechanics from Sword World after hearing about the delightful Fellows mechanics. These are some beta-rules for using them in Forbidden Lands.

🔹 What is a Fellow?

💡 Fellow: A non-player companion with a specific role and behavior pattern, used to assist small or solo parties, or to deepen the narrative without needing full GM control.

Fellows typically:

Take on a defined role (e.g., Guard, Scout, Healer)
Act using a behavior script, not full initiative
Require upkeep (like silver or food)
Can have special traits and loyalty ratings
May grow, stay loyal, or abandon the party depending on how they're treated

🎭 Roles

🔰 Each Fellow has a Role, which determines their core function.

Role	Function
Guard	Protects PCs and absorbs hits
Scout	Aids with travel, survival, and perception
Healer	Treats wounds and conditions
Hunter	Uses ranged attacks and tracks game
Servant	Carries gear, helps craft/build
Mystic	Offers spiritual or magical support

🧠 Personality & Behavior

🧠 Fellows have a Personality Type that defines how they act under pressure.

Choose one:

Loyal – Protects the party, even recklessly
Cautious – Avoids danger; supports from a distance
Aggressive – Focuses on attacking
Pragmatic – Prioritizes efficiency and survival
Superstitious – May react to magic unpredictably
Feral – Acts on instinct, rarely speaks

⚔️ Combat Behavior (Scripted)

🕹️ Fellows do not roll initiative. They act after all PCs, or when triggered.

You define a basic behavior script, like:

If an ally is Broken → attempt to heal
If no enemy nearby → guard the rear
If engaged in melee → strike with weapon
Else → fall back and assist

They may only take one simple action per round (attack, guard, heal, etc.).

🎙️ Catchphrases for Fellows

💬 Fellows can have catchphrases—flavorful lines they speak during key moments. These make your companions feel like living characters with personality and voice.

Suggested triggers:

When Attacking
When Healing or Assisting
When Taking Damage
When Defeating an Enemy
When Retreating or Falling Back

Players can write their own catchphrases, or roll them from a themed table like the one below:

Personality	Attacking	Healing / Assisting	Taking Damage	Defeating Enemy	Retreating
Loyal	"You’ll get through me first!"	"I’ve got your back."	"Is that all you’ve got?"	"Threat neutralized."	"Tactical withdrawal—now!"
Cautious	"One arrow, one warning."	"Easy now... breathe."	"Damn thorns... again."	"Won’t see them again."	"We vanish into the trees."
Empathetic	"I hate fighting... but I must."	"Stay with me, I’m here."	"This is nothing, I’ve seen worse."	"Rest now, you're safe."	"No shame in living to fight."
Aggressive	"Time to bleed!"	"Patch up fast, we’re not done!"	"You call that a shot?"	"Another pelt for the pile."	"Not worth the meat!"
Pragmatic	"Back to the dirt, then."	"Stitches now, questions later."	"Don’t damage the good tools!"	"Done and cleaned up."	"We can’t fix this—move!"
Superstitious	"By fang and feather, fall!"	"The spirits guide your bones."	"The signs warned me!"	"The omen is fulfilled."	"Bad winds... we must go."

💰 Upkeep and Loyalty

💸 Most Fellows require a small cost to maintain.

Upkeep: Typically 1 silver/day or item-based (e.g., incense, rare food)
Loyalty: Rated 1–5; GM may call for a Loyalty roll if they’re ignored, endangered, or mistreated
- Loyalty 5 = Unshakable
- Loyalty 1 = May abandon you

📋 Fellow Template (For Players & GMs)

Use this template to design your own Fellow:

Name: 
Role: 
Personality: 
Background: 

Attributes (abstracted):
- Strength: 
- Agility: 
- Wits: 
- Empathy: 

Skills:
- Skill 1 (value)
- Skill 2 (value)

Gear:
- List of basic gear/weapons

Combat Behavior:
- If [condition], then [action]
- If [condition], then [action]
- Else [default action]

Special Trait:
- A once-per-day ability or passive bonus

Loyalty: /5
Upkeep Cost: (e.g. 1 silver/day)

Catchphrases:
- When Attacking:
- When Healing or Assisting:
- When Taking Damage:
- When Defeating an Enemy:
- When Retreating or Falling Back: